On or around December 13, 2013, Box.net (Box.com) will change the way applications like FEBE log into the users account. The authorization process is called OAUTH v2.0 and is becoming the accepted standard for logging into web-based services.

In the past few years, FEBE was using Box's v1.0 API to authenticate users and it was working fine. Users could simply provide FEBE with their Box username and password and FEBE would do the rest. Starting with the v2.0 API, this is no longer the case. Users must now manually click through a two or three stage authorization procedure. This procedure also requires that developers maintain a secure domain to be used as part of the authorization process. Box, to my knowledge, does not offer a secure domain to those developers who wish to integrate Box's cloud service. Developers must acquire this themselves at their own expense. Secure domains, dedicated IP addresses and Security Certificates can cost hundreds of dollars per year. If FEBE were a commercial product, I would consider these extra costs, but FEBE is Free Open Source Software that does not generate revenue and I cannot justify the added expense. Box does not offer any incentives for developers to integrate their software into Box's cloud storage service. They do not even have an affiliate program that rewards developers for customers driven their way.

As such, I will be dropping Box support in FEBE when the older v1.0 API no longer functions. Users can still use Box to upload/download their FEBE backups, but they must be done manually. FEBE will no longer do it automatically.

The next FEBE release (v8.0) will include support for Dropbox and, hopefully, webDAV network storage for those with their own personal access to any website.